Friends of Caux Initiatives of Change Switzerland Association

Invitation to the 20th General Assembly in Caux

Saturday 12 December 2026, with a weekend programme on 12–13 December

Programme of the General Assembly

  • 13h00 Reception of participants begins
  • 13h30 General Assembly of the Friends of Caux (agenda below)
  • 15h30 Close of the General Assembly, tea and coffee break
  • 16h00 Start of the optional weekend programme, with dinner on Saturday, coffee breaks and brunch on Sunday, and the option of staying overnight in Caux with breakfast from Saturday to Sunday. Ends on Sunday at about 15h00.

Agenda of the General Assembly

  1. Welcome by the president, attendance and apologies
  2. Election of the vote counters
  3. Approval of the agenda
  4. Minutes of the 19th General Assembly of 30 August 2025
  5. Annual report 2025
  6. Annual accounts 2025
  7. Auditors' report
  8. Discharge of the board
  9. Presentation of the projects 2026/2027
  10. Budget 2026/2027
  11. Election of the board and the auditors
  12. Motions to the assembly from members
  13. Any other business

Theme of the weekend

We can feel when something is out of true

We feel this in the world, in our communities, in our own lives. That feeling comes from our inner sense of right and wrong, and it is worth listening to and acting on. People who do that describe a growing steadiness: less noise, more clarity.

For many years, small groups of us in Switzerland have been experimenting with different approaches to practising this together: to get quiet, to listen inwardly, to share what we find, and to help each other act on it. We have started to put these ways of working into words, and now we would like to share them more widely and make them available to people who are not yet familiar with Initiatives of Change.

What we will do

  • Try it. We will run a session the way our peer groups run one, in four rounds: quiet time with writing, sharing what surfaced and what is moving, a look at possible next steps, and the question of how we can support each other along the way.
  • Look at what we, Chris and Margret, have drafted. We will introduce the ideas behind the ways of working: the inner compass, the eight bearings of the compass rose, and how the groups are set up. We will show you the texts as they stand today.
  • See which approach fits when. Initiatives of Change has more than one way of working, such as the peace circles of Creators of Peace or related methods like trauma dialogue. We will talk about what each is for, and how to tell which one fits a given person, group or situation.
  • Refine it with you. Parts of it are clear and parts are not. We want to know where the words do not fit, what is missing, and what you would change. Your questions and objections are the point of the weekend, and we hope to leave with better texts and a better method than we arrived with.

Who it is for

Anyone. You do not need to know Initiatives of Change. Something different can feel out of true to each of us, and what one person sees can give the others valuable insight. You only need to be willing to look, and you are welcome to say what you see.

What to expect

We are bringing forward ideas that have not always been at the centre, such as natural law: the very old concept that people everywhere carry a built-in shared sense of right and wrong. We are also speaking to people we have not often addressed. We want to discuss these new emphases with you. Nothing is asked of you beyond being there.

What you share during the weekend stays within the weekend.

Registration and practical details

The weekend is a time to meet and to deepen our knowledge and use of our methods. Please register!

  • When: Saturday 12 December 2026, from 13h00 (programme above); the weekend programme ends on Sunday 13 December at about 15h00
  • Where: Caux, above Montreux
  • Language: German and French; say when you register whether you would like translation
  • Cost of the weekend programme: CHF 90.– per person
  • Overnight stay (Saturday to Sunday, with breakfast): single room, plus CHF 125.– per person; double room, plus CHF 65.– per person
  • To register by 25 November: 078 641 41 11 (Chris) or amis@caux.ch

Please send your motions to the General Assembly to the same address by 25 November as well.

What to give when registering

  • Surname, first name
  • Address or email
  • Attendance (yes or no, with number of people): General Assembly, rest of the weekend programme, overnight stay to Sunday
  • Dietary restrictions: none, vegan, or other
  • I understand: German, French
  • I would like translation

Membership fee

Payment of the annual membership fee:

  • CHF 50.– for individual members
  • CHF 75.– for couples
  • CHF 25.– for young people up to 25, students and unemployed

PC 60-448822-3 / IBAN CH17 0900 0000 6044 8822 3
Verein Freunde von Caux Initiativen der Veränderung, 1824 Caux